Kviprovement in projectiles



0. w. STAFFORD.

Projedtile. 7 No. 39,180. V Patented July 7. 1863.

CHARLES WV. STAFFORD,

Fa'rnivr @rrren.

on BURLINGTON, Iowa.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROJECTILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3 9.180, dated July 7, 1563.

To aZZ whom it 71mg concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. STAFFORD, of Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Projectiles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said projectile complete and ready for placing in the gun. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same as it passes through the air after the separation of the sabot. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the sabot. Fig. 4 is a front view of the sabot. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the same or of the packing-cup thereto attached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Views.

The subject of my present invention is an elongated sub-caliber shot, to be supported centrally within the bore of the gun by a hollow spheroidal band, applied near its forward end, and a sabot at its rear end, as will be hereinafter explained.

The invention further consists in an improved construction of guiding and packing sabot.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents a bolt of steel or iron, formed with a fiat or slightly concave cutting or punching face, a, and tapering gradually backward from the said punchingface to its rear end,'b.

0 represents a hollow spheroidal band of metal, driven or shrunk onto the bolt A, and fitting near the forward end of the same. The periphery c of the said band is turned to accurately'fit the bore of the piece with which the shot is to be used.

D represents a sabot formed with a conical front and a socket, (I. to fit the rear end, I), of the bolt, and at back provided with a cup or concave disk, E, adapted to be expanded by the explosion of the charge and forced into the grooves of the gun. The said disk may be formed in one piece with the sabot, as in the present illustration, or may be attached thereto in any suitable manner.

F represents a pin projecting backward from the rear end, I), of the bolt, and fitting a hole, f, in the sabot D when the latter is placed upon the bolt, so that any rotary motion imparted by the rifle-grooves to the packingdisk E may be communicated to the bolt A. The cavity between the disk E and sabot D may be filled with any suitable packing and lubricating material.

In constructing this projectile the bolt A is first made of cast or wrought iron or steel in the form described. The band C is then made in the hollow form represented in Fig. 1, with an aperture at each end adapted to fit the bolt, and is driven or shrunk onto the latter in the position shown. The shot may then be placed in a lathe, and the periphery c of the band turned off accurately to the required size and form. The pin F, having been fixed in the rear of the bolt, and the sabot D fitted thereto and placed upon it, the peripheries of the sabot D and cup E may be in like manner accurately turned off.

The primary purpose of the band C is to constitute a bearing for the forward end of the sub-caliber bolt to hold and guide it in an accurately-central position within the bore, and it may also serve to contain an incendiary substance, which will be carried into the aperture made by the bolt. The objects of the spheroidal form represented are, first, to impart the greatest possible strength to the band with a given weight of material, and, second, to adapt it to cleave the air with the least possible resistance.

The purposes of the sabot D are to support and guide the rear end of the sub-caliber bolt and form a secure attachment and abutment for the expansible packing-ring E without of fering resistance to the flight of the shot through the air. The object of the conical form imparted to the front of the said sabot is to give it the needful strength to resist the force of the explosion.

The operation is as follows: The parts be ing placed together, as represented in Fig. 1, the shot is placed in the gun. The first effect of the explosion is to force the periphery of the cap E and a portion of any packing and lubricating material placed between it and the sabot into the rifle-grooves, so as to effectually close the windage and prevent the escape of gas. The accurate supports afforded by the band C infront and the sabot D in the rear cause the bolt to be guided accurately in its passage through the bore, and the contact of the peripheries of these parts, and more'especially the periphery of the cup E, with the rifle-bands, imparts the required rotation to insure accuracy of flight. Immediately after leaving the gun the sabot E is separated from the bolt A by the resistance of the atmosphere, and the shot pursues its flight in the ,WQQIUEUQB, hem; in E rlt sthiisea e: V lated to cleave the air with the least possible resistance consistent with momentum and accuracy. The band C throws the center of gravity considerably forward of the center of the: figure, and the tail b tends to prevent deflection without offering any obstruction to the fiight.- The sabot and packing-cup cause the projectile to receivethe full force of the eX- plosion upon an area equal to the Whole area of the bore, and, having done their work, separate from the shot, so as to avoid impeding its flight. The reduced diameter of the bolt causes it to receive a higher initial velocity and reduces the atmospheric resistance, but is of special importance in reducing the area of resistance in an opposing body which it is designed to penetra-te or destroy. On striking such an opposingbody the entire mowithin the hollow band or shell 0 will carry it into the aperture thus made by the bolt.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

ported within the bore by a hollow spheroidal band, C, which may continue with it in its flight, and by a sabot, D, which, after receiving the full explosive force of the charge, will separate from the shot by atmospheric resistance, substantially as explained.

2. The detachable conical faced sabot D and expansible packing disk or cup E, constructed as described, in combination with the subcaliber bolt A, for the purposes specified.

The above specification of my improvement in projectiles signed this 16th day of April,

a G. W. STAFFORD;

\Vitnesses: OCTAVIUS KNIGHT, CHARLES SMITH.

1.. An ei'ongateu'shot, A, guided andsup 

